Van Lierop Park

What is Van Lierop Park?

In the East Valley area of Puyallup, east of Shaw Road and north of Pioneer Avenue are 18 acres of land purchased by the City in 2015. This area is one of the few remaining areas in Puyallup that could be developed into a larger community park.

Phase 1 Construction

Phase 1 of Van Lierop Park is now complete. The park's view corridor preserves and showcases the sightline to Mount Rainier, as shown in the photo below, taken in the spring of 2019.

Phase 1 Design

At the completion of the master planning process, the permitting stage design of Phase 1 began. Construction of Phase 1 was projected for 2018-2019 pending confirmation of project funding in the 2018 budget process.

The graphics below show the Phase 1 elements of the Van Lierop Park. Maintaining the view corridor is a primary focus of the site layout.

Master Plan

The Master Planning process explored which recreational opportunities will best fit this location and the community's needs and desires. It also determined potential phases of the project, describing what would be accomplished and projecting when each phase could be designed, funded and constructed. Working with the community and stakeholders, staff and the consultant team MIG-SVR established and prioritized possible elements for the park, and recommended phases towards final completion.

Public Participation Helped Guide Programming Phase

Open houses were offered in the spring of 2017, during which the public was asked to share ideas on the type of programming and activities it would like to see at Van Lierop Park. This feedback, along with input gathered through online surveys, focus groups, and presentations to the Puyallup City Council was used to develop two design options, shown below.

Project Schedule

Project Status Updates

June 2019 - Ribbon-cutting of Phase 1 to celebrate its completion.

March 2018 - Thank you to those who joined us for the Public Open House in February. Project design is continuing, with a target construction start in summer 2018, pending completion of the permitting process. Once the project is under contract for construction, check back here for weekly updates on the progress!

January 2018 - The permitting process for SEPA review was submitted. An Open House will be planned for February 2018 to invite the public to view the selection Phase 1 park options that have been selected and funded through Council input, public input, and maximizes the site features to preserve the Mt. Rainier view corridor.

November 2017 - Work is underway to develop studies and reports that will determine if this project is expected to have any significant environmental impacts (SEPA). Once SEPA is complete, the City Council will review and consider adopting the overall master phasing plan for Van Lierop Park. View the draft phasing plan.

October 2017 - Van Lierop Park's design and programming content is being developed according to public input and City Council direction. The park's master plan will include phasing of various park amenities based on cost estimates and construction timeframes. When complete, the plan will be evaluated for possible environmental and traffic impacts, among other considerations.

May 2017 - Thank you to those who completing the second online survey these past few weeks. The survey is now closed. We will continue to work on plan design based on the feedback received.

April 28. 2017 - Thank you to all who attended the second open house on April 27th. Two design options have been created based on your feedback.

April 10, 2017 - Work is underway to develop conceptual plans using input gathered from the public at the first open house, the online survey, and the City Council.

March 9, 2017 - An open house was held for the public to communicate its ideas for the future Van Lierop Park. If you were not able to attend, please share your thoughts by taking the online survey by March 26th.

February 28, 2017 - The City Council received a presentation on the status of this project.

February 8, 2017 - Focus groups have been formed to gather input from local organizations. An open house will be held in March and an online survey offered soon.

January 2017 -Planning is underway for public outreach and involvement in the design process.

December 2016 - The master planning consultant contract is approved.

August 2016 - Riverwalk Trail, Phase 6 is named the "Ernie Bay Connector".

June 2016 - A Legislative Proviso grant was awarded to the city for design and construction of Riverwalk Trail, Phase 6

December 2015 - 18 acres of the historic Van Lierop farmland property was purchased by the city.